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THE KING ’S BUSINESS
of the imperfection of their works. In deed, the nearer we get to God the more conscious we become of the im perfection of our works (Isa. 6:1, 5; Job 42 :5, 6 ; 1 Tim. 1:15). But never theless the Christian knows that his works are “ wrought in God,” i. e., they are the result of his union with God, consequently he desires that this fact may be made manifest, not in or der that he may be approved but that God may be glorified, that every one may see what God can do in man. He wishes it known that “ they have been wrought in God” (cf. Matt. 5:16). The order of words in the Greek lays emphasis upon “ in God,” the thought being that it is “ in GOD” and not by man’s own strength that the deeds have been wrought. The tense used in the original is the perfect and not the aorist, the thought being that the believer’s works .have been once wrought and still continue, not merely that they have been wrought and that ended it all. The words written in the verses which we have been studying to-day would not be appropriate to the time when Jesus was talking with Nico- demus. They evidently describe a time when Jesus has been fully mani fested to the world as the Son of God, and when men have had abundant op portunity to accept Him as such and come to the light and do the truth. They would fit exactly the time, when John wrote his Gospel and when there had been a decisive separation among men, the mass of men proving that they loved darkness rather than light by not receiving the Lord Jesus, but the select few coming to the light, be lieving on the name of the only be gotten Son of God. And they de scribe exactly what is going on in the world to-day, men showing what they are at heart by what they do with Jesus, the mass of men showing that they are bad at heart by refusing the (Concluded on Page 123)
This word indicates something actual ly done or accomplished. Though one practices evil or worthless acts, he is not really doing anything, he is not bringing anything to pass, not effect ing anything. We have here an illus tration of how minutely exact the Bible is in its use of words, This is one of thè countless proofs of the verbal in spiration of the Scriptures. But there is not only a contrast in the two words used that are translated “ doeth” but there is also a striking contrast in the form of the two expressions. In the 20th verse the man is described as practicing worthless things or doing ill ; here we have the expression “ doeth the truth.” In the former case, the ill practice is represented by many in dividual and separate worthless acts : in the latter case, the things done are all combined in one supreme unity, “ the truth.” There is.a harmony in good, a unity, that does not exist in evil. But the expression means more than this, it means “ right action is true thought realized. Every fragment of right done is so much truth made visi ble.” John uses the same expression in a negative form in 1 John 1 :6. We find the same thought that right ac tion is the truth realized in deed (but differently expressed) in Paul’s writ ings where “ the truth” is contrasted with unrighteousness of conduct (2 Thess. 2:12; 1 Cor. 13:6; Rom. 1:18, Rom. 2 :8 ). Another illustration of the minute verbal exactness of the Bible, is found in the statement that the one doing the truth “ cometh to” the light. It does not say that he loves the light. “ This perhaps could not be said abso lutely of men,” but the words certain ly do recognize in some men a striv ing toward the light (cf. 7 :37 ; 11:52 ; 18:37). It is this one, who has a yearning for the light, who wills to do God’s will and receives the light he longs for (cf. John 7:17). The best of men will be conscious
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